NEWS
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Six Missouri Republicans Objected to Electoral Votes Even After Capitol Attack Written by
DOYLE MURPHY
W
hen police finally regained control o the . . apitol a ter pro Trump e trem ists stormed the building on anuary si issouri epublicans oted in support o the same conspiracy theories that inspired the iolent insurgency. The most prominent was en. osh awley who was the first . . senator to announce he would object to certi ying the results o the presidential election. espite recounts and more than court decisions dismissing resident onald Trump s debunked claims o widespread oter raud aw ley claimed he was obligated on behal o his constituents to object to the oting process specifically in ennsyl ania. n his way into the apitol on the day o the attempted coup awley was photographed saluting the same e tremists who would later o erwhelm apitol olice officers smash out windows and climb in side the building where they ran sacked ongressional offices and celebrated the insurrection. The group had become con inced despite all e idence that the presidential election has been stolen. It s a message that Trump
continued to peddle the morning o anuary . nd while a num ber o epublicans which notably includes ep. nn Wagner and en. oy Blunt o issouri chose to break with the president s un hinged claims and ote to certi y the elections awley and fi e . . representati es rom issouri objected once ongress resumed business that night. ere s the list o the issouri poli ticians who were among epub licans to object to certi ying otes in either ri ona or ennsyl ania en. osh awley ep. am ra es ep. Vicky art ler ep. Billy ong ep. Blaine uetkemeyer ep. ason mith Together they ollowed a path that was sure to ail but would score points with the ar right actions o Trump s base. awley was among just si senators who ultimately objected. ourteen had been e pected to object but the majority backed o . omething about being orced to take shelter rom a mob storm ing the halls o ongress seemed to ha e made most o the would be objectors reconsider. n
Cori Bush: Expel Congressmen Who Incited Capitol Terror Written by
JAIME LEES
S
worn in just two days before rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol, Congresswoman Cori Bush isn’t wasting any time when it comes to taking legislative action. In response to the deadly domestic ter-
Rep. Cori Bush | OFFICIAL PORTRAIT ror attack in Washington, D.C., Bush has introduced a resolution demanding the ex-
Sen. Josh Hawley. | OFFICIAL PORTRAIT
Rep. Sam Graves. | OFFICIAL PORTRAIT
Rep. Vicky Hartzler. | OFFICIAL PORTRAIT
Rep. Billy Long. | OFFICIAL PORTRAIT
Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer. | OFFICIAL PORTRAIT
Rep. Jason Smiths. | AOFFICIAL PORTRAIT
pulsion of the members of Congress who “incited this domestic terror attack through their attempts to overturn the election.” Hundreds of pro-Trump rioters stormed the Capitol on January 6 as Congress gathered to count the electoral votes. The process of signing off on the presidential election results is usually pro forma, but some Congress members, such as Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, had promised to object. Emboldened by their example and the soon-to-be-ex president’s debunked claims that the election was “stolen,” the insurgents overwhelmed Capitol Police officers as members of Congress, including Bush, were rushed to safety. Five people died in the chaos, including a police officer who was beaten by the intruders and
a woman who was shot by law enforcement as she and others in the mob tried to force their way into a secure hallway. Bush, who was newly appointed to the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, was still sheltering in place when she released details of her intentions and the draft of her resolution. From her press release: “The Republican members of Congress who have incited today’s domestic terror attack at the United States Capitol must be held accountable for violating their Oath of Office. I am prepared to do whatever it takes to defend our democracy. That’s why, as my first legislative action, I will be introducing a resolution to Continued on pg 10
riverfronttimes.com
JANUARY 13-19, 2021
RIVERFRONT TIMES
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